Defendant Justin Pettis pleads guilty; judge imposes suspended prison term, probation and rehabilitation conditions

Justin Pettis pleaded guilty on June 10 in two cause numbers, and the court accepted stipulations and state exhibits before imposing sentence under a plea bargain.

The court found sufficient evidence based on the stipulations and exhibits and sentenced Pettis under the plea terms. For one cause number the judge pronounced a six‑year sentence suspended and probated for five years, with 200 hours of community service and a $2,000 fine to be probated. The court allowed deductions from community service hours (50 hours for completion of an approved course and further one‑hour deductions per sober‑support meeting). For the DWI‑related cause number, the court ordered 20 days of partial GPS monitoring in lieu of 10 days in the county jail because of overcrowding, ignition‑interlock for half the term in appropriate cases, TAP (treatment assessment program) evaluation out of custody, proof of employment within 30 days and monthly field visits for an initial period.

The court warned Pettis that violations of probation conditions — including driving a vehicle without a required ignition interlock device — could lead to revocation and exposure to the underlying prison terms. Pettis confirmed understanding of his rights and the consequences of the plea.

The court allowed the parties to proceed with the agreed stipulations to avoid live testimony; where programs (for example the DOE course) reduce community‑service obligations, the court explained the calculation for hour credits. The court also ordered testing and emphasized sobriety as a probation condition.

Next steps: reporting to probation and compliance with monitoring, testing and program attendance as conditions of probation.